Frequently Asked Questions

HOW MUCH DO THERAPY SESSIONS COST?

Each therapist sets their own rates based on their experience, specialized training, and credentials. Sessions range from $120-200 for a standard 50 minute session depending on the therapist you work with. We also offer longer sessions when appropriate, and often encourage couples to attend 80 minute sessions when needed. All of our therapists offer a sliding scale (reduced fee) when finances are an issue. Please discuss this with your therapist during the consultation call if you are in need of a lower fee for services.

WHEN ARE YOU AVAILABLE FOR SESSIONS? DO YOU OFFER EVENING OR WEEKEND APPOINTMENTS?

We see clients in person in our Sandy Springs/Buckhead Atlanta location near Chastain Park, and can provide telehealth counseling by video for anyone in the state of Georgia. Availability may change slightly from week to week and varies depending on each therapist’s individual schedule. Generally, sessions occur Monday through Friday, daytime and evening. Some of our therapists do offer weekend availability.

Use the online scheduler to see your therapist’s most up-to-date availability.

What’s a telehealth session and how do they work?

A telehealth session is primarily conducted online through a HIPAA compliant, secure video platform called Simple Practice. Because our therapists are licensed by state, we can provide telehealth therapy to anyone in the state of Georgia. When you schedule a session, make sure to mention to your therapist if you want to meet virtually, or select the Video office location if you are booking through the online scheduler. You will receive an email with a link to the video session about 10 minutes before the session begins. If you do not receive this email by the time of the session, please contact your therapist directly, and they will send you a text or email with the video link. Occasionally a telehealth session can be provided over the phone, if reliable internet is not available or other circumstances limit the use of video. However, video is recommended over phone sessions whenever possible, and is most similar to a traditional in-person session. Couples therapy, Brainspotting, and other specialized forms of therapy are all available and equally effective when provided virtually.

DO YOU ACCEPT HEALTH INSURANCE?

No we do not. However, if you would like to try and access your “Out of Network” benefits, your therapist can provide you with a form (called a Superbill) which you can submit to your insurance company to try and receive reimbursement. We have many clients who are able to get at least partial reimbursement for the cost of sessions this way. If you want to try this, we recommend calling the number on the back of your insurance card to find out what your specific plan’s policy is for out of network mental health providers. A word of warning though: in order to do this, we do have to assign you a “Diagnosis Code”, as required by insurance, which becomes part of your permanent medical record.

WHY DON’T YOU ACCEPT INSURANCE?

There are a few reasons why we and many therapists now choose to not take insurance. Insurance companies require that we assign you a “Diagnosis Code”, which becomes a part of your permanent medical record. Some people are uncomfortable with this and the potential impact it could have on them in the future. Insurance companies often require information to be sent to them about what happens in sessions to justify payment, and can put stipulations on how many sessions they will allow a client to come before they will no longer pay for sessions. Because of these stipulations, and the challenges that often come for providers regarding receiving payment from insurance companies, we prefer to work with clients on a self-pay basis only. That way we can maintain your full privacy, and we can determine exactly how long we’d like to work together without any outside influence or pressure. This also allows us to provide reduced fee sliding scale spots when needed.

WHAT FORMS OF PAYMENT DO YOU TAKE?

Credit, Debit, and Check are all acceptable forms of payment. We can also accept your HSA or Flexible Spending cards. We do not accept cash.

WHAT IF I HAVE TO MOVE OR CANCEL AN APPOINTMENT?

We understand that things come up, so you can cancel or reschedule your appointment with at least 24 hours notice. If it’s less than 24 hours notice, you will be charged for the full cost of the appointment. Please give your therapist as much notice as possible when canceling or rescheduling appointments.

WHAT IS A SLIDING SCALE AND HOW DOES IT WORK?

A sliding scale is when a therapist offers to reduce the cost of sessions for a client who has a financial need to help make therapy more affordable. Many therapists offer a sliding scale and may structure it in different ways. For our team, we each take only a certain number of clients at various reduced rates when clients can not afford our full fee. If you would like to begin therapy with one of our therapists, but can not afford to pay the regular rate, please contact us and ask about a sliding scale. If all our sliding scale spots are full, we will be happy to put you on a waiting list until a spot opens up, or can provide you referrals to our other therapists or agencies in the area who may have sliding scale openings.

WHAT SHOULD I EXPECT DURING THE FIRST VISIT?

The very first session is different from any other session because we have to get a lot of information from you, and we will discuss how we keep that information and your records confidential. This first session is more like an in-depth consultation, where we go into more detail about what to expect from therapy, and you and your therapist both take some time to get to know each other and learn what has led you to begin therapy. Your therapist will ask lots of questions about you and your history. We also will talk about your goals for our work together, and you can ask your therapist any questions you may have about the therapy process or what it’s like working with them.

DO I NEED TO ARRIVE EARLY TO FILL OUT PAPERWORK?

You will not need to spend time in that first session completing paperwork. All of the new client paperwork will be completed online before the first session. You will receive a link after you book your first session that will allow you to complete the paperwork from our secure client portal, Simple Practice. Please complete this before your first session so your therapist has time to review it before meeting with you.

I’VE NEVER DONE THERAPY BEFORE, AND I’M KIND OF NERVOUS. WHAT SHOULD I EXPECT FROM WORKING WITH YOU AND FROM THERAPY IN GENERAL?

It is very normal to experience some nervousness about starting therapy for the first time! We actually wrote a blog post about this exact thing, which you can read here to learn more about what to expect. In general, you can expect the first session to be very conversational and focused on getting to know you and your goals for therapy in general. All of our therapists are very warm, and help make new clients feel at ease, while also providing feedback, tools, and skills. It is an interactive experience, and you will not find yourself talking to a “blank wall.” As you and your therapist successfully work together for a longer time, those nerves tend to reduce, and clients at our practice generally report feeling comfortable and safe with our team of highly skilled therapists.